CVE-2016-4099 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.016.20039 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1037, CVE-2016-1063, CVE-2016-1064, CVE-2016-1071, CVE-2016-1072, CVE-2016-1073, CVE-2016-1074, CVE-2016-1076, CVE-2016-1077, CVE-2016-1078, CVE-2016-1080, CVE-2016-1081, CVE-2016-1082, CVE-2016-1083, CVE-2016-1084, CVE-2016-1085, CVE-2016-1086, CVE-2016-1088, CVE-2016-1093, CVE-2016-1095, CVE-2016-1116, CVE-2016-1118, CVE-2016-1119, CVE-2016-1120, CVE-2016-1123, CVE-2016-1124, CVE-2016-1125, CVE-2016-1126, CVE-2016-1127, CVE-2016-1128, CVE-2016-1129, CVE-2016-1130, CVE-2016-4088, CVE-2016-4089, CVE-2016-4090, CVE-2016-4093, CVE-2016-4094, CVE-2016-4096, CVE-2016-4097, CVE-2016-4098, CVE-2016-4100, CVE-2016-4101, CVE-2016-4103, CVE-2016-4104, and CVE-2016-4105.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2024
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber attackers due to their widespread deployment and the complex nature of PDF processing. This vulnerability CVE-2016-4099 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across both Windows and macOS platforms. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through unspecified attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged for remote code execution in targeted attacks. The flaw exists in the way these applications handle certain PDF file structures, specifically in memory management during document parsing and rendering operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption categories, which are commonly classified as CWE-125, representing out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions. These memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly severe because they can be exploited to gain complete control over affected systems. The attack surface is broad since PDF files can be delivered through various channels including email attachments, web downloads, and malicious websites. When a user opens a specially crafted malicious PDF file, the vulnerability can be triggered, leading to memory corruption that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability is distinct from numerous other CVEs in the same timeframe, indicating it represents a unique code path or memory handling issue within Adobe's PDF processing libraries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments where Adobe Reader and Acrobat are widely deployed. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to potentially compromise entire network infrastructures when attackers leverage this vulnerability for initial access or privilege escalation. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling activities, particularly when analyzing attack patterns that involve document-based exploitation. The vulnerability can be exploited in targeted attacks where attackers craft specific PDF files designed to trigger the memory corruption during normal document processing. These attacks often rely on social engineering to convince users to open malicious documents, making user education and awareness programs crucial components of defense strategies. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of Adobe applications in high-risk environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4099 should include immediate patching of affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations to the latest versions that contain fixes for this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious PDF files. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by running Adobe applications with reduced privileges and implementing sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect suspicious behavior patterns associated with memory corruption exploits. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing robust security monitoring procedures to detect exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of vulnerabilities and privilege escalation, making it a critical component in threat hunting and incident response activities. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of PDF processing capabilities to identify potential exploitation paths. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle exploitation attempts targeting document processing software, as these attacks often require specialized forensic analysis to understand the full scope of compromise.